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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
112
"And
when
the
ship
reaches
Earth?"
"You
will
be
disguised
as
a
member
of
the
ship's
personnel,"
Eylan
said.
"Remember,
the
inevitable
inefficiency
of
a
huge
bureaucracy
will
be
working
for
you."
"I
hope
so,"
Barrent
said.
"Let's
suppose
I
reach
Earth
safely
and
get
the
information
you
want.
How
do
I
send
it
back?"
"You
send
it
back
on
the
next
prison
ship,"
Eylan
said.
"We
plan
to
capture
that
one."
Barrent
rubbed
his
forehead
wearily.
"What
makes
you
think
that
any
of
this--my
expedition
or
your
uprising--can
succeed
against
an
organization
as
powerful
as
Earth?"
"We
have
to
take
the
chance,"
Eylan
said.
"Take
it
or
go
down
in
a
bloody
shambles
with
the
rest
of
Omega.
I
agree
that
the
odds
are
weighted
against
us.
But
our
choice
is
either
to
make
the
attempt
or
to
die
without
making
any
attempt
at
all."
Moera
nodded
at
this.
"Also,
the
situation
has
other
possibilities.
The
government
of
Earth
is
obviously
repressive.
That
argues
the
existence
of
underground
resistance
groups
on
Earth
itself.
You
may
be
able
to
contact
those
groups.
A
revolt
both
here
and
on
Earth
would
give
the
government
something
to
think
about."
"Maybe,"
Barrent
said.
"We
have
to
hope
for
the
best,"
Eylan
said.
"Are
you
with
us?"
"Certainly,"
Barrent
said.
"I'd
rather
die
on
Earth
than
on
Omega."
"The
prison
ship
lands
in
six
days,"
Eylan
said.
"During
that
time,
we
will
give
you
the
information
we
have
about
Earth.
Part
of
it
is
memory
reconstruction,
part
has
been
skrenned
by
the
mutants,
and
the
rest
is
logical
constructs.
It's
all
we
have,
and
I
think
it
gives
a
reasonably
accurate
picture
of
current
conditions
on
Earth."
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